Nucleic Acids

Nucleic acids are biomolecules that are made up of

repeating units of nucleotides. They are named
“nucleic acids” because they were first discovered in
the nucleus of cells.
Structure of Nucleic Acids
● The building blocks of nucleic
acids are called nucleotides,
which consist of
○ one to three phosphate
groups;
○ a five-carbon sugar; and
○ a nitrogen-containing
base. The basic structure of nucleotide
Structure of Nucleic Acids
● The five-carbon sugar
component of a nucleotide
can either be a ribose or a
deoxyribose.
○ For DNA, the sugar is
deoxyribose while for
RNA, the sugar is ribose.
The basic structure of nucleotide
Structure of Nucleic Acids
● Nitrogenous bases are
aromatic compounds that
contain carbon, hydrogen,
and nitrogen.
○ They are either purines,
which are comprised of
two rings, or pyrimidines,
composed of one ring. Purines and pyrimidines
Structure of Nucleic Acids
● Adenine, guanine, and
cytosine are found in both
DNA and RNA

● Thymine and uracil are

found only in DNA and RNA,
respectively.
Purines and pyrimidines
DNA
● DNA is a double-stranded
structure, with each strand
being a chain of nucleotides.

● The two strands run

antiparallel to each other.

DNA and RNA strands

DNA
● The primary function of DNA is
to carry genetic information.

● This information is stored

within the sequences of
nucleotides.

DNA and RNA strands

RNA
● RNA structure is somewhat
similar to that of DNA,
although RNA is comprised
only of one strand no
matter what form it is.

DNA and RNA strands

Functions of RNA
● rRNA, also known as
ribosomal RNA, is the
most abundant type of
RNA. It is primarily
associated with the
cell’s ribosomes.

The structure of an rRNA molecule

Functions of RNA
● tRNA, also known as
transfer RNA, is the
smallest in terms of size.
These are primarily used for
the synthesis of proteins.

The structure of a tRNA molecule

Functions of RNA
● mRNA, also known as
messenger RNA, plays a
major role in the process of
translation. It serves as the
copy of information in DNA
that can be translated into
an amino acid sequence.

The use of mRNA molecule during

gene expression
 Nucleic acids are biomolecules that are important for
1 their multiple roles concerning genetic material.

The most notable nucleic acids in organisms are

2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and ribonucleic acid
(RNA).

The building blocks of nucleic acids are called

3 nucleotides.
Identify the terms being described by the statements below.
1. The building blocks of nucleic acids are known by this term.
2. This is the sugar found in DNA.
3. This is the sugar found in RNA.
4. These nitrogenous bases have two rings.
5. These nitrogenous bases have one ring.
How does transcription occur?